Artemis: What Have Ye Done?
by JonathanOldstyle
Summary: A member of the Council is dead. The LEP suspect Artemis Fowl. What could go wrong.
1. Chapter 1: What's Past is Prologue

_Present - LEP Headquarters_

"Why don't we start at the beginning?" the officer offered.

"What constitutes a beginning highly depends on your views on causality. Personally, I prefer to start my stories _in media res_. I wouldn't want to bore you with exposition."

The officer sighed. He had hoped to go home hours ago. While they had drawn straws, agreeing to record an official statement had seemed like a relatively straightforward assignment given the chaos that had enveloped the LEP over the past 48 hours. Then again, that was before he had known he was going to have to take said statement from the Artemis Fowl II. He cracked his neck hoping to hide the slight tremor that had taken hold of his voice.

"Fine, where do you consider the beginning to be Fowl?"

A trace of a smirk appeared around the lips of the frighteningly pale figure seated across from him, and Crisp Pearson, a 125 year vet of LEPIntel shivered. If the height wasn't off-putting enough, the cold mismatched eyes did the trick.

"Would the murder of Chairman Cahartez be amenable to you?"

"Yes, do enlighten us. When did you learn of Cahartez' assassination?"

"Around the time the LEP had decided to have me arrested" Artemis replied, not missing a beat. Crisp merely gulped, as the Irish youth began to outline the events of the past two days, addressing the one-way glass screen, mercifully behind Crisp.

* * *

 _48 hours ago - The Lower Elements Council Building_

The building was too old, and it had been far too long since it had been renovated, Cahartez thought silently to himself. The columns, Doric in nature, were the only sign that the center of power in Haven had been affected by recent trends in architecture, above or below ground. Standing slowly, and feeling the weight of his age, he began to put away the grants, appeals, and white papers that troubled the minds of the eldest members of the Council. It was late, he realized, far later than he intended to still be working. The building would be empty, or nearly empty, aside from cursory security. But that was all automated now. Cahartez knew he should thank Foaly; there hadn't been a break-in since the centaur had connected the buildings' security to his network, but Cahartez missed the guards with whom he had spent nearly half a millennia building a rapport. Locking his office, and strolling across the lobby he idly wondered if he had any curry left in his fridge when his attention was suddenly caught by another pair of footsteps. Initially alarmed, he calmed when he recognized the elf accosting him.

"You again. What are you doing here?" asked Cahartez.

"You ought to know"

Suddenly a shot rang out piercing the still Haven air. Cahartez crumpled to the floor. The drafts in the building were certainly getting worse, he thought, as his vision dimmed.

* * *

 _46 hours ago - LEP Headquarters_

"D'arvit Trouble, do you know what time it is?" Holly asked.

"Unfortunately I do. I wouldn't have called you here if it wasn't an emergency. " Trouble took a second to scan the windowless fluorescent conference room and observe the weary officers he had managed to gather. "There's been a break in at the Council. Cahartez is dead. Our only lead is that our surveillance of the area mysteriously shut down last night 35 minutes before the incident, allowing our suspect to escape undetected. Otherwise there is no evidence of a security breach. The guards stationed out front reported nothing unusual."

Allowing time for gasps to subside, Trouble continued: "Obviously now would be a good time for our chief technology expert to explain how our perp simply walked into the most secure building in the Lower Elements."

Foaly grunted. He was vexed. "The system is secure. I don't understand this any better than you do. Whoever got in entered with a badge. There's no other way…I would know if my network was that compromised. Nobody in Haven would've been able to execute something of that magnitude."

"And yet, Cahartez is dead. Nobody sure seems to have got the drop on us big time" said Trouble.

"Excuse me sir" Crisp piped up. "You said nobody in Haven. Perhaps it's someone outside of Haven. Someone outside of Haven who has a reputation for routinely getting into LEP surveillance."

Holly's head turned. She had been shocked by the brazenness of the attack and had been paying only intermittent attention to the discussion at hand. Still, she recognized the elder officer's comments for what they were and her stomach suddenly sank.

"Fowl" Trouble said, chewing on the name.

"Several artifacts are missing, many of them solid gold" Grub Kelp added quickly.

Trouble stared at his younger brother, surprised at his input.

"That could establish motive. Thank you Corporal. Cahartez wasn't supposed to be there, he was working late. It could have been a robbery gone wrong. The use of a human gun is making me think the mud whelp might be involved after all"

"It doesn't make sense" Holly interjected, rather heatedly. "Why would Artemis start robbing us after saving our lives."

"Holly." Trouble looked tired. "Why does Artemis do anything. Maybe he's bored." He turned to Foaly, "Is there a chance that Fowl was able to compromise your system?"

"It's…it's possible Commander. I don't think he would, nor do I think it's likely. But it is possible." Foaly looked glum, and Holly couldn't tell if that was from concern for their most difficult mutual friend or from the admission that his network might not be secure after all.

Trouble considered this for a moment.

"Your orders, Captain Short, are to bring Fowl in so we can question him. Tell him a story, tell him we need his help figuring this out. I want him to come quietly. I will see what the Council wants done with him, but until then he's our man. Don't forget, Holly, be careful. I know you and him have been close recently, but he's dangerous." Trouble's tone was at once accusatory and concerned.

"But Artemis is still recovering, there's no way…" Holly started to interject.

"The mud whelp, Captain Short, is a dangerous criminal. Either you bring him in quietly or I send in a full retrieval team ready to wipe him on sight. Cahartez is dead. This isn't a game anymore. You have your orders. Everyone else, keep your communicators on, but until further notice you are all dismissed"

Holly fumed. She knew her commander was wrong, but felt like she had little choice. She steeled herself for the deception that was to come. Still, it was for his own safety she thought, hoping that he would understand while knowing that he would not. She strode out of the room loudly, abruptly passing a guilty looking Centaur and 8 assorted LEP personnel staring at her before slamming the conference door behind her, without so much as uttering a word. After she was out of earshot, a private whistled softly. After all, it wasn't every night that you arrested Artemis Fowl.

* * *

 _Present - LEP Headquarters_

"How am I doing?" Artemis asked, cooly.

"A little dramatic" Trouble interjected over the intercom. Artemis smirked. He had figured the commander had been listening in. Along with half of the LEP.

"But not wrong" Artemis countered. Crisp rolled his eyes, then gulped as Artemis' focus returned to him.

"One more thing about that night Fowl, how did you know that Holly was coming to arrest you?"

Artemis leaned back contemplating the direction he wanted the story to go. He had always been fond of the _epitasis_ in Aristotle. In other words, he was just getting to the good parts.

 _to be continued..._


	2. Chapter 2: The Ship of Theseus

_A/N: Thank you for the reviews. This is my first attempt at fanfiction, and also my first attempt at writing anything with a plot, so I appreciate any and all feedback and criticism. And I apologize in advance for any errors, it has been some time since I have read the books. I have had this story mapped out in my mind for some time now so I will try to update it regularly; I am curious to experiment to see what works in this context, so, thank you for joining me._

* * *

 _1 hour ago - LEP Headquarters_

Domovoi Butler was used to interrogations. He had been trained extensively in keeping his cool, and more importantly, keeping his employer's secrets. Still, he was having a hard time taking the diminutive figure sitting across from him seriously. The room, while sterile and well lit, quickly became comical when forced to accommodate Butler's imposing stature. The bodyguard, unwilling to test the structural integrity of the standard elf-sized seating arrangements, sat cross-legged on the floor. While Butler hadn't expected anything comparable to the Russian mafia, he was beginning to feel vaguely insulted by the lack of effort. It seemed to him that the chief instrument of torture the LEP had thought to employ was a noticeable lack of lumbar support.

"So, you're telling me you made breakfast?" Chix Verbil sighed. While at first, Chix had been thrilled to have a chance to partake in the latest escapade involving the notorious mud men, he soon began to suspect the quixotic nature of his task.

"No offense Private, but you asked me to recount my morning activities. I recall Master Fowl requested a full breakfast on that day. He informed me it would be a long day, and then retired to the library" Butler said, cracking his back.

"Okay...Well how did he know it was going to be a long day? He didn't say anything about Haven did he?" Chix attempted to continue.

"I wouldn't know. As I already told you, I was fulfilling my duty of making an omelet and preparing a tasteful portion of caviar. If you don't believe me, I'm sure I can put on a demonstration" Butler replied, with the trace of a smile on his lips. After a long 48 hours, he was beginning to have fun. Of course, Artemis had handed him a hastily drafted sheet of instructions, simply titled 'Plan,' that had quite a deal to say regarding Haven, however Butler deemed that detail less than relevant to the current investigation.

Shifting uncomfortably, Chix realized he was unsure if the man was joking or not. Next time, he thought to himself, he would stick with traffic duty.

* * *

 _Present - LEP Headquarters_

From behind the one way glass, Holly abruptly strode out of the room, ignoring her colleague's quizzical expression. She had been legitimately curious as to what had occurred in the Manor prior to her arrival, but she had known from the start that interrogating Butler would be fruitless. Maybe if Chix had spent a fraction as much time on his work as he had spent crafting woefully corny pickup lines he would be a decent officer, Holly thought, smirking. Approaching the Operations Booth, Holly was interrupted by the sound of the automatic doors sliding open and Foaly's unmistakably smug voice.

"Looking for a place to hide out?" the centaur offered.

"It'd be nice if I could just once show up somewhere unexpected. But yes, thank you Foaly."

"Understandable. They're not getting much out of Artemis either" Foaly said, gesturing toward a wall of monitors.

Holly could see both Artemis and Butler wearing similarly impassive faces. She wondered how both of them could appear so unfazed. She was glad she was not being questioned as well given her own involvement. The perks of being a friend of the commander, she thought. She was barely holding herself together as it was, trying to not think about what would happen to Artemis when Kelp and the LEP concluded the interrogations were pointless. Pulling up a stool, Holly exhaled for what felt like the first time in two days, feeling Foaly's pitying eyes on her.

She met his gaze and Foaly looked away, fiddling with the resolution of the monitors.

"At least he's back" he said, breaking the silence.

"Yeah" Holly replied softly, staring at her reflection on the titanium walls. She looked tired, she realized.

Foaly loudly bit into a carrot he had been nervously twirling between his fingers.

"Could you just explain one thing" he continued cautiously, letting his curiosity get the best of him. "What happened when you got to the Manor?"

Holly laughed. She knew what question he was trying to ask.

"He didn't hack into your system. Not then at least. I think he figured out my passwords and saw my surface visa and some readings from my helmet" Holly said sheepishly. "Anyway, none of what happened is a secret, you'll just read my incident report."

Foaly unsuccessfully tried to hide his interest under a facade of cool indifference as Holly began to recount how she had sold out her closest friend.

* * *

 _40 hours ago - Fowl Manor_

Waiting for Butler to open the towering baroque doors, Holly felt for the first time in her illustrious career, well, not to put too fine a point on it, short. She had been to Fowl Manor many times since Artemis had returned, seemingly miraculously, from the dead. However, even at the start when Artemis had been a stranger, eager to regain his memories, she had entered through a a side door intended for family. And over time, as they had drawn closer, she had taken to entering Artemis' study directly through the stately windows, riding the Irish wind. After having spent so much time with Artemis, the Manor had begun to feel like a second home. But entering as she was now, Holly suddenly noticed how hostile the stately building could be. The walls exuded ghosts, and the 18th century guard towers seemed to project a gargoyle-like menace. Holly fought back tears, suddenly feeling alienated not only from the Manor, or from Artemis, but from her own skin. Why was she here? She knew that Trouble wasn't trying to punish her. As an expert on all things Fowl, she was the best elf for the job. Still, while Trouble was vaguely aware of her surface activities, only Foaly was aware of how much time she was spending with the mud boy. And not even Foaly was aware of the fluttering sensation she felt in her chest whenever Artemis would look at her, unmistakably smiling, so unlike anything he had done before he had returned. Holly winced. The Fowls seemed to value loyalty nearly as highly as gold, and she knew from experience that Artemis was no exception. She hoped he would understand that she had to betray him, because there was no other choice. Because she...

Her thoughts were interrupted when the door began to creak open, revealing a suspiciously unsurprised bodyguard.

"Hello Holly, Artemis is expecting you" Butler said. "He's in the library. If you need anything, I will be close by." The words, usually comforting, felt ominous in this strange new context.

"Hi Butler" Holly managed weakly. How did Artemis know she was here? She comforted herself that it was probably just the Manor's security. As she walked through the ornate anteroom, and started down the hallway toward the library, she could hear Vivaldi's Four Seasons softly echoing off the old walls. She had nearly reached the dimly lit gothic room when she noticed Artemis seated at a desk, eyes glued to a dust-coated book, taking notes slowly and deliberately.

"Greetings Captain." Artemis didn't look up, and Holly was unable to read his face.

"Arty" Holly began.

"How can I help you today? Or rather, how can I help the People. I take it that is why you entered through the front door" Artemis said, forcing an unnatural smile.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you. I've just been asked to collect you and Butler" Holly exhaled, happy to have avoided telling a lie. To Holly's surprise, Artemis didn't push for clarification. Instead, he reclined and gestured for Holly to take a seat.

"Very well. I assume we are in no rush. Is that correct Holly?" Without allowing time for her response, Artemis continued, "Ever since I perished, I have developed a keen interest in metaphysics. When you arrived I had been perusing Thomas Hobbes. _De corpore_ , to be specific" said Artemis, pronouncing each syllable.

"Reading? That does sound rather unlike you" said Holly softly, aiming for levity. "Are you up to anything I should be aware of?"

"I can assure you my research has been merely for pleasure. Tell me Holly, have you ever encountered the Ship of Theseus?" Artemis continued.

"I never spent much time in Greece."

Artemis raised an eyebrow. "No, Holly, it's a thought experiment. It is said that even after Theseus died, his ship was kept in the harbor of Athens as a memento, if you will. Of course, over time the wood began to rot and decay, so the Athenians naturally replaced it, until, after some time, nothing was left original to the ship that Theseus had sailed." Artemis looked at her pointedly. "The question, then Holly, is whether it is still Theseus' ship."

Holly had not known what to expect, however, in spite of notable experiential evidence to the contrary, she had been caught off guard by the impromptu lecture in philosophy.

"Sure, repairing a ship doesn't change what it is" she managed after it had become apparent Artemis was expecting a response.

"Ah, but Captain, what if all of the discarded wood was collected and pieced together into a perfect facsimile. Would that not be the _true_ heir to that title?"

"Of course not, it'd just be a rotten mess. Why are you asking me this Artemis?"

Artemis smiled weakly and Holly began to realize the point of Artemis' inquiry.

"There is another version, of course, where the ship is not a ship at all but instead refers to a person, who is constantly losing and regenerating cells over time. When I was young," Artemis started, "this problem didn't bother me. I believed that identity was tied to memory, and the fact that while we replace many of our cells, some, such as the neurons in the adult brain, last a lifetime, comforted me. Still, as in the past few years I have lost both my memories and my corporeal form, the question of identity has begun to seem more pertinent."

Holly felt a sharp pang as she forced herself to meet Artemis' gaze, staring directly into his _two_ blue eyes. She felt distinctly uncomfortable, and wondered whether Artemis was aware of the threat that Trouble had leveled at Artemis only a few hours earlier. If Artemis had been trying to guilt her into revealing her true purpose, it would have been hard to find a more apt topic. Still, she realized, she was in a similarly dodgy position, hoping Artemis would tell her everything without her having to ask. She was just less practiced at this particular form of tête-à-tête.

"Artemis, you're you. This is all just words and abstract nonsense" Holly said, finally.

"I never took you for a fan of Wittgenstein" Artemis replied chuckling.

"Well, I guess I'm full of surprises." The banter felt comfortable, familiar. The kind of warm conversation they had had a thousand times. Then Holly remembered her purpose and sobered.

"I suppose the LEP will be expecting us soon" Artemis said. However the teen made no movement to rise.

"Yes, we should get going."

"Butler should be retrieving the Bentley as we speak"

"Ah, good" Holly said lamely.

Standing slowly, Artemis began to re-shelf the books strewn across his desk, and motioned for Holly to follow him. Exiting the Manor, Artemis turned to Holly. "Someone once wrote that all writing is autobiography. I think I agree with that."

Holly ignored him. Although Artemis was always cryptic, that he was being particularly difficult worried Holly.

"You gave me my memories Holly, you wrote me. Remember that." He said it so quietly Holly wondered if it wasn't a figment of her imagination.

And before Holly could respond, Butler was helping her onto the dark leather seats of the car. The ride to the shuttle port was quiet. After all she had no idea what to say to that. As they were nearing their destination, Holly turned to Artemis, a few stray tears lining her otherwise composed face.

"I'm sorry Artemis" she finally managed.

"For what?" he asked calmly. Then added, after some consideration, "don't be."

* * *

 _Present - LEP Headquarters_

Foaly snorted involuntarily.

"He said what?" The centaur was having a hard time imagining Artemis saying...well any of it really. Then again, while he had called Artemis his friend, he had never really known the Irish genius outside of the context of LEP world-saving business.

"The next thing I can remember is arriving at Haven, and seeing Artemis calmly step out of the shuttle into a den of waiting LEP officers, Neutrinos drawn."

Foaly was silent for a moment. "Well, he certainly wouldn't have come if he knew he was going to be mind-wiped."

"No, I suppose not" replied Holly, although she was beginning to have her doubts about that as well.

 _to be continued..._


	3. Chapter 3: Facades

_30 hours ago - LEP Headquarters_

Trouble Kelp was not generally an unhappy elf. He liked his job. After years of playing support and slowly climbing the ranks, the authority felt vindicating. And he was good at it too, he thought, admiring the three acorns conspicuously adorning his lapel. Maybe he wasn't Root, not yet, although if his doctor was to be believed about his steadily increasing blood pressure, he was on the right path. Still, there were moments, every so often, when Trouble doubted himself. Moments when the pressures of his job seemed too much and he wished desperately to summon some of the gravitas of his beet-red mentor. Trouble sighed, recognizing one such moment, as the door to his office was slammed open by a very upset LEPrecon captain.

"Captain Short," he sighed.

Holly glared. "Don't _Captain Short_ me, Trouble, you used me," Holly practically spat.

"I did no such thing, I gave you orders prudent to the situation."

"Orders? You didn't say he was going to be mind wiped, Trouble."

Trouble sighed, glancing at the motivational LEP poster prominently featuring his visage that was the lone decoration on his office wall, he idly debated the practicality of installing an escape hatch under his desk. Truthfully, it hadn't been his decision to wipe Fowl. Not that he had any particular fondness for the mud whelp, but he had proven useful on occasion, and Trouble was dubious that in the long term much would be accomplished beyond irritating the Irish genius. Besides, it was a logistical nightmare. Fowl's family was nowhere to be found, for one, apparently extending a vacation across South America that the LEP had somehow not known about, forcing LEPretrieval to work overtime.

"That was need to know, ordered from above. The council either knows something we don't, or wanted revenge, and I can't say I blame them. Honestly, it's above my pay grade. And Holly, you should be glad they were satisfied with a wipe. There were, other suggestions."

Holly balked, evidently not in the mood to be placated. "I don't care what they said, the evidence was circumstantial, there was no trial, no confession, nothing. That was just so wrong, and when he finds out, and he will, what are we going to say? And I was bait. Frond, Trouble, he's my friend. Or was my friend, at any rate. And you are too, or you're supposed to be. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Holly, the fact that we don't have conclusive evidence doesn't mean the Council doesn't. Besides, we have to think about what's best for the People, not what's best for our friends. If there was even a chance that Fowl was behind Cahartez' death…" he trailed off.

Fortuitously for Trouble, Holly's chance to respond was interrupted by a sharp whinny over the intercom.

"I hope its not a bad time, Commander, but you're going to want to come to the OPs booth quick"

"Can it not wait until tomorrow Foaly?" Holly said through gritted teeth.

"I'm afraid not" Foaly said nervously. "See, the thing is, well, if my readings are correct, and they usually are, there's been a spike in Solinium on the grounds of Fowl Manor."

"Gnommish please, Foaly" said Trouble.

"Well, I don't know how to put this simply. Fowl Manor has been bio-bombed."

Holly gasped while Trouble slumped into his chair. Maybe his doctor was right, Trouble thought, he was due for a vacation.

* * *

 _35 hours ago - Fowl Manor_

Over the years, Butler had become attuned to his principal's moods. And while Artemis never smiled, he currently appeared, to Butler at least, altogether far too pleased. Or at least, far too pleased for someone who had ostensibly just had their memories erased.

"So, remind me, why exactly aren't we waking up in a back alley wondering how these contacts got in our eyes right about now?"

"Well, the LEP as general policy doesn't dump people in alleys, human or not. To answer your question, though, it likely helps that we weren't exactly mind wiped" Artemis replied.

"And does Foaly know that?" Butler asked in disbelief.

"Mmm" Artemis feigned disinterest. "Not exactly, no."

"Care you explain how? Not that I'm complaining."

"I imagine it has something to do with my being a genius," said Artemis, "and Foaly not keeping up with the latest biohacking trends." In ideal circumstances, Artemis would have preferred a larger crowd, Butler imagined, but in a pinch, he would do. "You see," Artemis continued, "once I discovered a way to encode malware into a strand of my own DNA, it was a piece of cake writing the code to reprogram Foaly's gene sequencer. So, when Foaly thought he was prepping us for a mind wipe, he was in reality granting us access to his entire network."

Although Butler more than anyone had become accustomed to his charge's intelligence, he was beginning to get a sense as to why Artemis seemed so pleased with himself.

"That's rather ironic, isn't it?" Butler wryly chuckled.

"Yes, old friend, I do believe it is," said Artemis, smirking.

* * *

 _32 hours ago - Outside Tara_

Butler looked at his watch. Artemis hadn't specified exactly who they were waiting for, only that Butler would recognize their contact when he saw him, which was far from reassuring to the bodyguard, who had not exactly approved of meeting a contact in an unexamined clearing a few hundred feet from a major road.

"Your contact is 30 minutes late"

"I know" Artemis replied icily.

While still several steps ahead of the LEP, the success of the 'plan' was far from guaranteed. There were several intricate moving parts, more costume changes than Butler thought strictly necessary, and a very narrow window of time for each component to be accomplished. In other words, it was one of Artemis' plans. And if the past was any indication, that meant something was liable to go very wrong at any given moment.

At that moment, Artemis abruptly stood up, and the air suddenly grew thicker in Butler's lungs, and a slovenly yet familiar dwarf began ambling out of the woods.

"Mulch, might I remind you, you're late."

The dwarf approached the group warmly, "I didn't have much choice, let's just say a few of our friends on the LEP decided to pay me a surprise visit, and, while I always say the more the merrier, I didn't think you would, eh, appreciate their company here."

"Quite right. Do you have the requisite goods?" Artemis said.

"I'm hurt, have I ever let you down before?"

"On many occasions, in fact," Butler added.

Mulch scoffed. "A dwarf breaks into your house one time and you never let it go."

Artemis tapped his watch. "There will be time for banter later, right now we need to begin setting up the equipment."

"First, mud boy, you're going to need to pay me." Mulch interjected. "I know we're friends, thicker than clay and all that, but I don't think I'd be too popular with the good commander Kelp," Mulch gestured at the crates he had dragging behind him, "if he knew about this."

"Of course." Artemis handed Mulch a folder, the contents of which, Butler surmised, may have been the ownership of a fairly secret Swiss bank account. Mulch, seemingly satisfied, whistled and departed, leaving Butler alone with Artemis again.

"Now," Artemis began, visibly relieved to be back on schedule, "we play the waiting game. Soon Much will detonate the stolen bio-bomb, and we will be one step closer to identifying our enemy, as it were."

"I still don't see why bio-bombing the manor is necessary," Butler grumbled.

"Ah, but this is the best part. We were framed, and anyone sophisticated enough to fool the LEP is certainly smart enough to know the importance of eliminating the evidence. When they see that someone else has beat them to the proverbial punch, they will inevitably grow suspicious. And that, old friend, is when this should become interesting."

Butler sighed, getting into the Bentley. He couldn't argue with Artemis' logic, but one day he was going to have to ask point blank what exactly Artemis considered interesting.


	4. Chapter 4: Not Even Past

_A/N: Another chapter, although I cannot promise to keep this pace. First, I want to thank you all, specifically Eldewind Dolly, for the reviews, and in particular, the review of the last chapter. It helped me grasp some of the problems I was having with the narrative but had been unable to put my finger on. My aim had been to craft the story like a puzzle, but I think the framing was becoming limiting, so, hopefully the next few chapters will be an improvement, at least in some regards, without losing the structure entirely. Additionally, this chapter is going to spend a decent amount of time on an OC far removed from our protagonists, and while I apologize, I do believe it is a necessary evil and should pay off in the end. Again, thank you all for reading, and if you are, please do leave a review. They are all very appreciated._

* * *

 _Around 1000 years ago - Haven City_

To the inhabitants of Haven, the day Arthur Sutpen arrived seemed no different than any other. The Boulevard of Kings was still a dirt path in those days, and there was a sense of denial that permeated the weatherless air. Though it had been several millennia since Taillte, the residents of the Lower Elements still viewed their city as temporary, merely a safe-haven. The winter solstice celebrations still ended with the traditional refrain "next year at Tara," and the stories passed down from parent to child were distinctly that of a diaspora lacking a home. This nostalgia was inseparable from a deep melancholy that perforated every gathering and, unspoken, provided the context to every conversation and joke, no matter how light-hearted. The descendants of the descendants of those who had fought were disappearing. Lineages were confused, texts lost to the ravages of time. Havenites bore little cultural resemblance to their ancestors, yet, they continued living in a dream of return.

This was the context to which Arthur Sutpen arrived, wagon carried by two gruff looking gnomes. While the largest city below ground, even then, Haven resembled a small town more than an elven metropolis, and as such, gossip immediately swirled around the elf's mysterious arrival. The metalsmith was of the opinion that he was Atlantean, and had it on good authority that Arthur had been run out of that town for a dispute with the local government. Still, another said that Arthur had been living above ground, swashbuckling from daring adventure tricking unsuspecting humans around Ulaid and stealing from even the High human Kings. The local schoolmaster, when her pupils inquired, insisted it was all hot air, and that Arthur was merely a ne'er-do-well born to a disgraced family with no gold to their name, and that in a few years he'd be gone and destitute in the next town foolish enough to listen to his wild stories. Indeed, there were grains of truth to all of their accounts, but the overall effect was that nobody in Haven quite knew what to do with Arthur when he arrived.

The schoolteacher was wrong about one thing, however. Once Arthur had settled on Haven, he was not to be moved. And while he certainly had a penchant for entertaining the local men on the weekends surrounding a barely controlled bonfire, his wildness was matched only by his industry. In mere months, Arthur had built a mansion seemingly from thin air, and had begun work developing half of Haven. And even if the older elves were known to mutter disapprovingly from time to time, he had become a pillar of the community. In time, he was nominated to replace the ailing Chairman Flecker on the Council. It was there Arthur met Cahartez, another young ambitious elf who had recently joined the body governing Haven, and, so well did the two elves get along, the match seemed pre-ordained. Bound by their youth and ambition, Arthur and Cahartez became strong allies on the Council, pushing the reforms that shaped Haven into the cultural center it was to become. Arthur pushed strongly to break the fog of regret that stood heavy in the lives of Haven's residents, urging reconciliation and renewal with a vigor and righteousness that surprised those who remembered him mostly from his early years drinking and telling tall tales.

That is to say, Chairman Cahartez and Arthur Sutpen were the strongest of allies, until, suddenly, they weren't. The shift appeared suddenly to even those intimate with Haven's political scene. Though in hindsight, it was largely agreed upon that the rift began with Reconciliation.

"I brought curry," Arthur offered diplomatically, entering Cahartez' office.

"If you think I'm changing my mind on…your proposal, you are sorely mistaken," said Cahartez, removing the conical hat that adorned his balding head and taking the curry from his friend's hands.

Arthur sighed. "I thought you of all people would understand, this, what we have here, it's untenable!" Arthur said, gesturing at the cold stone building. "We're burying ourselves alive and soon there will be nothing left to dig out," he continued sadly.

"So what," Cahartez snapped, "we trot out like sheep to the slaughter?"

"A people need roots. And I know Máel, he is an honorable man, and controls Tara and all of Ireland now. He's eager to help, and is sympathetic. Not all men have forgotten the old treaties. I will not let us disappear into a bog of sentimental ruin."

"He's eager to help? He's eager to exploit us! And even then, what next? When he dies, and they decide we're not worth keeping around anymore, what then? The Lower Elements are expanding, soon there will be 1,000 fairy families in Haven alone. We have a life here now. No, there will be no reconciliation, friend, no matter how much you desire it."

Arthur's blue eyes smoldered with indignation, "I don't think you understand. I didn't come here for your vote. I came here merely as a courtesy, as your _friend_ ," he practically spat, "to tell you that with Nan's support, Reconciliation now has the necessary four votes. You have already lost."

"A courtesy? Hmph. I have faith that in the end cooler heads will prevail," Cahartez said, waving his hands dismissively even while his voice trembled. He had seen, and in fact employed his friend's intensity to their joint advantage on many occasions, but never before had he been on the receiving end of Arthur's barely suppressed rage.

"We will vote before the week is out. I suggest if you aren't willing to reconsider, you get out of the way, _Chairman._ " And with that, Arthur left leaving Cahartez shaken. Cahartez, however, had not made it as far as he had without tricks of his own, and Arthur's righteousness, while a powerful weapon, left him exposed. Cahartez gathered himself, and began to do what was necessary to kill the bill.

And then, as suddenly as he had arrived, Arthur Sutpen disappeared. Rumors swirled that the young Fairy Council member had met an unsavory end at the hands of a mysterious assailant, whose identity varied depending on who was telling the story, and how much mead had been consumed. However, no body was found, and in those days there was little to do to check the veracity of such claims. Although he had been a powerful force in the community, Arthur Sutpen had never married, and cultivated few close friends. And those who had known him from his earliest days in Haven seemed the most eager to partake in the gossip surrounding his disappearance. In time, Havenites reported cousins who had claimed to see him in Atlantis, and, beyond the realm of anecdote, the matter was largely dropped and forgotten by most. Of course, Elves live a long time, and the memory of those few who counted Arthur among their friends was slow to fade.

* * *

 _20 hours ago - Ireland_

Holly Short had never been keen on following instructions, and now that her best friend's life was at risk, she had no plans to change. As she flew through the Irish air toward Fowl Manor, she wondered if there was a chance Artemis had found a way to survive the biological bomb that Foaly was certain had enveloped Fowl Manor hours earlier. It certainly wouldn't be the first time, she thought. It wouldn't even be the first time someone tried to bio-bomb the genius following a mind-wipe.

It was very much like Artemis, Holly decided, to constantly be in the cross-hairs of life threatening fairy plots. And if she could rescue him again, Holly decided, this would be suitable penance for the less noble actions on the part of herself and the LEP that had led Artemis to being vulnerable in the first place. And if he hadn't survived…Holly shuddered, not allowing herself to finish the thought.

It was this desire for penance that had led Holly to insist to Foaly that she leave ahead of the official LEPRecon team Trouble had ordered to investigate, and it was perhaps the centaur's own guilt that had convinced him to go along with her plan. Still, Holly realized, her plan left much to be desired. She was unsure, for instance, what she was going to do if she found Artemis, and perhaps more importantly Butler, and they didn't recognize her. And if Artemis had not escaped... She again pushed these thoughts out of her mind. If Holly lacked a concrete plan, however, it was not entirely her fault. She had merely grown used to outsourcing such concerns. After all, it was hard to deny that matters of planning and strategy were usually best left to Artemis.

Holly shielded as she approached Fowl Manor. While she didn't expect to find anyone in the recently rinsed Manor, she was not about to take any chances. And if Artemis had escaped the bomb, well, Artemis lacking his memories was perhaps more dangerous than whomever had planned the attack in the first place. Lowering herself slowly, Holly forced her way through a window and entered the main foyer of the building. Feeling for the second time in two days a stranger in a familiar land, Holly observed no sign of a struggle, or anything out of place. Nearly everything appeared in its proper place. The painting of the Fowl patriarch at the top of the stairs was still crooked, as it had been days earlier. Holly thought back to when Becket, chasing Myles down the hall, had, reaching to grasp his brother's collar, missed, and slammed into the wall. Artemis had chuckled when Becket had demanded Holly heal his stubbed toe, and Holly, beginning to feel almost a sense of belonging, had felt a warmness inside her she had not known herself capable of.

Snapping back to the present, Holly turned the corner to Artemis' study. She knew that if Artemis had been caught unaware by the attack, this is likely where she would find him, or, what was left of him if Foaly's description of his invention was to be believed. Opening the door, and entering the ornately decorated room, Holly felt an ominous feeling rise in her chest. Something was wrong, she thought briefly. It was precisely at that moment that all hell broke loose.

As soon as Holly had crossed the perimeter, three distinct, yet alarming, events were simultaneously set into motion. First, Holly heard the unmistakable sound of the door slamming shut and locking behind her. Second, across the room, she could see bars mechanically sliding down blocking off the windows. And, third, as if that wasn't alarming enough, Holly heard a faint buzzing, almost as if the Manor itself was vibrating. Holly swore internally, recognizing the sensation. Holly had the sinking feeling that once again Fowl Manor had been hit with a time stop. Hearing footsteps approaching the now locked down study from across the hall, Holly drew her Neutrino, and placed it on its stun setting. While Holly didn't relish the distinct sensation of once again being held prisoner in Fowl Manor, at least this time, she was armed.

* * *

 _19 hours ago - Fowl Manor_

Butler felt restless. Though he trusted Artemis with the specifics of getting them out of their current predicament, he couldn't help but distrust a plan that relied on using Artemis as bait. Still, he thought, as he flipped through the latest edition of _Guns and Ammo_ , Artemis had, up until now, been remarkably prescient. He had outmaneuvered the LEP at every step, and seemed confident that they were closing in on a conclusion to their current escapade. And if the amount of equipment that Butler had been forced to set up throughout the Manor's elegant towers was any indication, Artemis had pulled out all of the stops. Evidently being framed for murder had not gone over well with the teenaged genius.

Hearing the sound of an alarm emanating from Artemis' computer, Butler looked up with barely concealed curiosity.

"Ah, it seems our guest has arrived early" Artemis said, standing up and straightening his tie. "I believe it is time for a face to face visit. After all, we wouldn't want to be bad hosts."

Butler merely grunted, as he stood stiffly, and followed his charge toward the study.

"Greetings intruder," Artemis began briskly. "If you have not noticed by now, I will point out that you have walked directly into my trap. At this point it would be of great benefit to your person to reveal yourself, and surrender any weapons you have," Artemis coldly lectured, standing behind the armored door.

"Stay back, human. You don't know what you're dealing with."

Artemis and Butler looked at each other, in shock.

"I take it this is not who you were expecting?" Butler commented wryly.

"No, most certainly not, old friend. I fear this may introduce some new complications into our plan," said Artemis. "If you could fetch some tea for our guest, I believe we will need some time to think our way out of this predicament."

Indeed, Artemis realized, he had miscalculated rather severely. His plan was entirely contingent on his enemy, and only his enemy, acting first. While he had adequately controlled for as many variables as he had identified, he had failed to take into account the actions of a certain rules-adverse red-headed LEP Captain. Still, if Artemis was being honest with himself, he was glad to have Holly around. He had felt badly deceiving her earlier, even if he had justified it to himself as necessary in evading the mind wipe. Besides, he rationalized, his plans had a much higher probability of success, given his track record, with Holly at his side. Besides, when the time stop wore off, Artemis realized, he would have to face a full LEP team, as well as, potentially, his unidentified opponent.

With this on his mind, Artemis opened the door and strode into the room. "Holly" he started warmly.

Unfortunately, Holly, not relishing the dubious prospect of reprising her role as kidnapee, decided to shoot her Neutrino, and, before any more words could leave his mouth, Artemis Fowl slumped to the floor, temporarily stunned.

Suddenly, it dawned on Holly what Artemis had said, and what exactly that happened to imply about the current state of his memories.

"D'arvit," she swore, leaning over Artemis's collapsed form, magic flowing from her fingers into her friend's chest.

It was at that moment that Butler returned carrying a tray of tea and scones. Piecing together what had happened, Butler frowned.

"I can't leave you alone for one minute without you two shooting each other, can I?"

"It's good to see you too, Butler" Holly replied, a guilty smile forming on her face.

* * *

 _Around 1000 years ago - The Lower Elements Council Building_

Cahartez entered the building with no lack of urgency. He had summoned Arthur to this midnight meeting with the promise that they may talk once more about Reconciliation, but the Chairman had something very different on his mind.

"So have you come to admit defeat?" Arthur said smugly, emerging from the shadows and gliding across the rotunda.

Cahartez wasted no time getting to the point. "I know what you are."

Arthur merely laughed coldly. "I'm a member of this Council."

"Did you really think it wouldn't get out? Did you really think we wouldn't notice why you wanted Reconciliation so badly?"

"This maybe would have mattered years ago, it's too late now Cahartez. I've won," Arthur said quietly.

Cahartez approached his once-friend. "Maybe the other saps believe so, but I know better. And I know you think you've won, but that's because no matter how strong willed you are, you're too earnest, like your father," and, taking his friend into an embrace, Cahartez thrust a knife deep into Arthur's ribs, "and that makes you stupid."

Arthur collapsed on the floor, blood gurgling from his lips.

By morning, when the Council convened, there was no sign of Arthur. When Lope looked at Cahartez, eyebrow raised, Cahartez merely shrugged, feigning ignorance. Reconciliation was not brought up, and the Council moved on, business as usual. Or so it seemed.

After adjourning from the morning session, Nan Burdeh approached Lope quietly. "Did you see how Cahartez was grinning? I...don't think Arthur left, Lope. What do we do?"

"We wait," Lope answered in a hushed tone, "We let him think he's won. Cahartez is smart, and will be expecting us to respond. But one day, he will lower his guard. One day, circumstances will change. Until, then we wait."

After all, fairies live a long time, longer than human thought can easily conceive of. And while revenge can be delayed, it cannot entirely be escaped.

 _to be continued..._


	5. Chapter 5: Escape from Fowl Manor

_17 hours ago - Fowl Manor_

All things considered, when Artemis Fowl regained consciousness, the youth was in remarkably good spirits. While not exactly pleased with the physical assault upon his person, he decided that of all the predicaments and misadventures he had suffered over the past decade, there were worse ways to come to than in the lap of a very concerned Captain Holly Short. Besides, Artemis reasoned as Holly exhaled a sigh of relief upon seeing his eyes flutter open, this was after all the point when all of his plans tended to go awry. Reluctantly, the genius sat up, though Holly made no motion to move.

"Welcome back to the world of the living," Holly said, hoping the levity of the remark would mask the traces of concern that had only just escaped from her features. "You should have told me you beat the mind wipe, you dummy."

"For that I am sorry, but I couldn't risk it. I didn't know how involved you were. Besides, I had been hoping to conclude this affair and definitively prove my innocence before further action was necessary" Artemis said cooly. If he was apologetic, Holly was unable to tell.

"You should have" Holly grumbled obstinately. Secretly, she was pleased. All of her apprehensions had faded the moment Artemis had begun speaking in a tone that resembled a lecture more than conversation. She recognized the cogs in Artemis' mind turning, some obscure plan, although complicated, being patched up. That meant, Holly realized happily, that they were once again accomplices. If Artemis Fowl was drafting orders for her, that meant they were on familiar ground. That meant that Artemis had forgiven her.

"Perhaps, however now we have more pressing concerns." Artemis checked his wristwatch in a stagey manner, "If I am not mistaken, we have around 5 more minutes before the time stop fades, and 15 more before the Manor is surrounded by the LEPs best and brightest." Artemis' mind raced. True, his grand reveal of innocence had been foiled, however most of his plan had been accomplished weeks ago. While he had lost the luxury of certainty over who had framed him, he had merely been hoping to confirm his prior knowledge, and maybe secure a confession on proverbial tape. Artemis Fowl, after all, did not operate on hunches. Still, the rest could be enacted without interruption. Matters would be dealt with. Glancing down at the elf besides him, who looked up at him expectantly, and whose hands had not left his chest, Artemis felt a pang of guilt. It was not revenge, Artemis reminded himself, simply deterrence to ensure the safety of that which he valued above all else, his own mind.

Still, if anything did threatened the success of his scheme, the imminent arrival of the LEP ranked highly. It would not due to be caught just yet. He needed to come into negotiations on his own terms, and he needed his leverage to be fully in place.

Butler coughed loudly. If Artemis and Holly were taking the events of the past hour in stride, the same could not be said for Butler. Although his faith in Artemis' intelligence never wavered, the introduction of so many new variables did not instill confidence in the Eurasian body guard.

"We do have a plan, correct? I'm not exactly eager for a repeat performance of yesterday" Butler added gruffly.

"Of course. Although, it may not be exactly to your liking," Artemis said.

Holly affected a groan. "Why am I feeling a sense of _déjà vu._ "

Artemis could only smile sheepishly as Butler sighed.

* * *

"So, typing on that thing is going to get us out of here?" Holly said, impatiently.

"I'm afraid so." After leading them down the drafty stairs to the basement, and into the manor's impressive wine cellar, Artemis had suddenly sat down, and removing a tablet from his jacket, had begun entering code furiously.

Looking sympathetically at the confused elf, Butler broke the silence. "We're going out the old tunnel system. They haven't been used in sometime, so Artemis is assessing the structural integrity of our route."

"The plans for the manor don't have a tunnel system," Holly said incredulously. She had seen and studied them extensively with Foaly on multiple occasions. She felt a twinge of disappointment; Foaly had seemed confident that they had mapped the entire area. She would have to tell him about this, she thought, mollified by the thought of the flustered expression that would certainly animate Foaly's face upon hearing about this.

"I'm not surprised," Butler continued. "These are old, hundreds of years even, and predate any construction plans for the manor. The Fowls used to be a smuggling family, way back. Sometimes a secret tunnel can be a real life saver to a smuggler."

Holly rolled her eyes, "Another day saved by Fowl deviousness. I suppose I should just be glad that Artemis comes by it honestly."

Butler merely smiled.

"Truly I have no idea what either of you are referring to," Artemis said, suddenly standing up, as the stone wall in front of them rumbled and then descended into the floor revealing a dark and dank passageway. "Ladies first," he added. Trying to ignore the sounds of animals scurrying across the damp floor, Holly decided that she indeed did not like this plan.

Her reluctance was quickly overcome by the faint echo of an alarm blaring across the manor.

"It looks like your friends have arrived" Butler said gravely, as the three of them quickly entered the passageway, the door sliding into place behind them blanketing them in darkness. Soon Holly's helmet illuminated the tunnel, while Butler attached a powerful custom flashlight accessory to his Sig Sauer.

"They're find this passage eventually. The new LEP helmets's sensors should be more than powerful enough to detect organic life. But hopefully they won't think to engage the sonar until they've scoured the rest of the manor first. They've underestimated how much I know. Hopefully that will be enough time for us to make it to our destination," Artemis lectured. Although he sounded confident, Holly could tell he was nervous.

They walked in claustrophobic silence for several minutes, but what felt like hours before Holly could bear it no longer. "So Artemis, what's next?" she said, trying to sound nonchalant.

"What do you mean?"

"After we exit…this," Holly gestured at the darkness, "what's next?" She had been elated initially, feeling a thrill she had missed in the time since their last adventure, but the walking had sobered her. Having interrupted rather unceremoniously, she felt left out, and, more troubling, if sinkingly familiar, unsure of Artemis' true motivations.

"Ah. Well, I will compile the necessary proof of my innocence, upon which we will return to Haven to ensure all parties are satisfied," Artemis said. It wasn't a lie. He had determined when Holly had arrived that he would not lie to her. As if that would make anything better. Still, he had not asked for her to be involved, and he had no intention of being made a pawn again.

Holly frowned, Artemis was being evasive. Though not exactly surprising, this did little to ease Holly's concerns. Suddenly, realization dawned on Holly. "You know who framed you, don't you?"

After a moment of silence, Artemis replied, "Yes."

"Who was it?" Holly asked, exasperated.

"Whom was it," Artemis corrected reflexively.

To Artemis' relief, Butler interrupted before Holly could press further, putting up his hand signaling silence. "Do you hear that?" he whispered softly. While Artemis could hear nothing, he saw Holly's face harden. Sure enough, straining, he could hear a faint blast echo throughout the tunnel. They must have discovered the entrance, Artemis realized.

"D'arvit," Holly muttered. "How far until the exit Artemis?

Contorting his face slightly while doing mental arithmetic, Artemis sighed. "We need at least twenty more minutes at this pace, maybe ten if we ran."

"They have wings, they'll be here in half that" Holly exclaimed.

"I realize that." Artemis was at a loss, and had begun processing what exactly would occur if they were captured by a vengeful LEP. He was unsure that the apparent repeat kidnapping of an LEP captain would do him any favors.

Butler broke the silence. "You two go ahead, I can initiate a standoff and buy you two time".

Artemis furrowed his brow. "I still need you for the plan."

"You have Holly, she's more than enough to keep you safe, so long as she isn't shooting you," Butler said.

"There are dozens of them. It's hardly a fair fight."

"It doesn't need to be. They think I don't remember them, right? I'll be able to catch them flat-footed. Besides, the legend of Butler needs to be updated from time to time," Butler said, smiling softly.

Artemis considered this for a moment, and then nodded. As much as it pained him to admit it, he was at a loss for better alternatives "Okay. Don't do anything rash; I want you in one piece when we bail you out jail tomorrow."

Butler nodded, and swiftly disappeared into the darkness.

Artemis frowned as he reluctantly continued down the passage. He didn't like this development, but his concerns were assuaged as Holly gently grasped his hand.

"Alright mud boy, let's get out of here so that brain of yours can begin to fix this mess."

* * *

When Artemis and Holly finally reached the end of the path, and gently pushed open the trap-door, moonlight flooded into the tunnel. Holly breathed a sigh of relief. There was no sign of the LEP behind them. _"Thank you Butler"_ she silently mouthed. Artemis looked around, seeming distracted.

"Took you long enough," a gruff voice interjected.

Holly recognized the voice. Mulch. Under different circumstances, she would have relished the reunion. Now, however, it was time for answers. "Artemis, what exactly have you done?"

 _to be continued..._


End file.
